Craft brewers may get relief by FSSAI on yeast count

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) may permit craft breweries to make beer with higher yeast content than its newly prescribed norms, which come into effect from April 1.

Earlier this week, the scientific panel of the regulator had a meeting with Craft Brewers Association of India (CBAI). In this meeting, CBAI presented its views on the yeast count, saying it was difficult to operate under the limits ordered by the regulator and the new standards do not improve food safety for the consumer. FSSAI is concerned that the yeast count above the prescribed limit may make the beer unsafe.

In a gazette notification in 2018, FSSAI had said that regular beer or lager should be free of yeast while draught beer should have yeast content of at most 40 CFU (colony-forming units).

The meeting between the panel and CBAI had no outcome immediately, but the panel is expected to present its views soon.

Pawan Agarwal, Chief Executive Officer of FSSAI, said, "We will wait for the panel to make recommendations and till the time they do, craft brewers can continue producing a beer like they have been doing."